NBC has announced a new holiday special A Motown Christmas, set to air Wednesday, December 11th at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey, the show will feature numerous Motown and Hitsville USA veterans performing their biggest hits alongside modern stars.
Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Temptations, Ashanti, JoJo, October London, Pentatonix and the Broadway cast of MJ The Musical are all set to perform during the two-hour show. Halle Bailey has prepared a medley of songs celebrating Diana Ross and the Supremes, while Jamie Foxx will lead a tribute to Stevie Wonder alongside Bebe Winans, Jordin Sparks and Andra Day.
An 11-piece live band, conducted by Emmy Award-winning musical director Rickey Minor, will accompany the singers. Across the more than 25-song setlist, viewers can expect to hear classics like “ABC,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “My Girl,” “Reach Out (I’ll Be There),” “Tears of a Clown, “Stop (In the Name of Love),” and “Superstition.” After the show airs on NBC, it will be available to stream the next day via Peacock.
“A Motown Christmas” is executive produced by six-time Emmy-winning actress Debbie Allen and former President of Motown Productions Suzanne de Passe, who is well-known for bringing both the Jackson 5 and Lionel Richie to Motown Records. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.
“I’m delighted to join Debbie Allen, SpringHill and NBC to bring Motown music, great artists and warm, family feelings together in a grand celebration of Christmas,” de Passe shared, with Allen adding: “The music of Motown has always been magical, and we are going to sing and dance everyone into Christmas joy!”
This marks the latest Motown television special from NBC, following 1983’s Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever and 1985’s Motown Returns to the Apollo. Both specials won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Music or Comedy Program.
